Iran Blames US Demands for Collapse of Islamabad Talks

(MENAFN) Iranian media and officials have portrayed the collapse of lengthy negotiations with the United States in Islamabad as a consequence of Washington's "maximalist demands," emphasizing key points of contention over the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear policy, and compensation for war-related damages.

The talks, held after a 40-day war and under a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, ended without a resolution after more than 21 hours of intensive discussions between political and expert-level teams. Despite multiple rounds of exchanges, no agreement was reached.

The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior security official Ali Bagheri Kani, engaged in discussions with a US team led by Vice President J.D. Vance. Both sides exchanged proposals and draft texts, but failed to find a common framework.

A Iranian state broadcaster reported that the United States’ “unreasonable demands” obstructed progress, despite intense negotiations. According to a news outlet, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sources claimed Iran had put forward “reasonable proposals” and suggested that “the ball is in Washington’s court.”

A media outlet, which maintains close ties with Iran’s security institutions, reported that the US delegation seemed to be looking for a reason to exit the talks, while another news agency noted that the deadlock led to the eventual departure of the American team from the negotiations.

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